All I want is an effective gun control proposal

By Bruce St. James | December 20, 2012 at 12:00 pmUPDATED: December 20, 2012 at 5:46 pm

What we need are more gun laws and regulations!

Wait, we have how many on the books?

While it’s almost impossible to count the exact number of state and federal statutes regarding guns, the widely agreed upon estimate is 20,000 laws directly pertaining to the manufacture, sale and/or use of a firearm.

President Barack Obama announced Wednesday a new task force headed by Vice President Joe Biden that will offer suggestions and solutions to last Friday’s massacre in Connecticut. Granted, I have no idea what they will come up with, but it’s a safe bet that when tasked with “do something,” the panel will return with some form of new regulations or laws regarding guns. It’s the obvious, and dare I say “safe” thing for them to come back with since government believes it can solve the ills of the people with a swipe of a pen.

I think the fundamental problem I have with the talks of new gun regulation and laws is that none of the proposed policies (short of a complete ban on the possession of firearms) would have prevented Friday’s shootings.

The rifle used was perfectly legal, even under Connecticut’s strict anti-assault weapon laws. None of the guns were purchased under the table at a gun show or from a private seller. The shooter did not avoid a criminal background or physiological check.

I haven’t seen one proposal, that if in place last week, would have stopped a deranged person from stealing a gun and using it to commit the crimes.

It makes me uncomfortable that the anti-gun crowd would use the tragedy of Sandy Hook to further their own agenda, knowing that nothing they propose would have prevented it.

There are sensible gun owners and sensible non-gun owners who can agree that there is some need for regulation when it comes to firearms. But the groups crowing the loudest about people like the National Rifle Association having “blood on its hands” have vacated the moral high ground when they use the blood of 20 school children to push their own beliefs.